About
From art-house classics to documentary films, from innovative and experimental visions to next-level Bollywood: 3rd i is committed to promoting diverse images of South Asians through independent film. We showcase films from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the global South Asian Diaspora.
3rd i’s programs reflect the lives and experiences of the many ethnic, religious and national identities that comprise the South Asian identity, and promotes interaction and dialogue both within the South Asian community and with other local and global communities.
3rd i is a conduit for local filmmakers to exhibit their work in the Bay Area. In fact, 3rd i‘s annual film festival has always showcased Bay Area and California filmmakers on Opening Night, followed by an Opening Night Party celebrating local talent, co-hosted by the Center for Asian American Media.
History
Founded by Ivan Jaigirdar, Shilpa Mankikar, and Camille Ramani in 2001, 3rd i began by organizing bi-monthly screening programs at Artists’ Television Access, a venue for independent film and video in San Francisco’s Mission District. These well-attended events convinced the founders that an audience of significant size already existed to support an annual film festival. When 3rd i organized the first SF International South Asian Film Festival at the Castro Theater in November 2003, approximately 1200 people attended. By 2008, the festival had grown into a 4-day affair drawing close to 5,000 audience members.
Programs
SF International South Asian Film Festival: 3rd i presents its annual film festival in November every year, over 4 days at the Castro and Brava Theaters. The festival offers Bay Area audiences a chance to see documentaries, features and shorts that often have no other distribution in the Bay Area. The festival also extends many opportunities to interact with filmmakers and other special guests. Past guests have included UK-based actress Parminder Nagra (Second Generation), Bombay/New York filmmaker Manish Acharya (Loins of Punjab Presents), and Kiran Bedi (India’s first woman police officer and subject of the biopic Yes Madam, Sir), among others. Visit our festival website for more information on this year’s festival.
Speaker Series: Scholars, experts and filmmakers present talks, illustrated with clips and other media, about various issues related to South Asian cinema (history, trends, politics of representation, etc).
Screenings and Co-presentations: 3rd i offers many opportunities to see South Asian films throughout the year by co-presenting screenings with other film festivals and community-based organizations, and through special screenings of local and visiting filmmakers.
3rd i’s Green Eye: In 2009 3rd i’s environmental mini-festival, 3rd i’s Green Eye, began as a pilot program in 2009 and since then has become an annual offering. The program includes a series of films and conversations about the environment, how it’s changing and how it impacts human beings – through a South Asian lens.
3rd i’s Queer Eye: 3rd i is proud to launch another mini-fest – 3rd i’s Queer Eye – in 2010, and put a South Asian lens on the LGBT experience. The program will include films, live performances and community forums by and about the South Asian LGBT community.
Check ‘Upcoming Events’ on the Categories sidebar for more up-to-date information on all these programs!